Hey, National Rifle Association: It's quiet time

Gun enthusiasts, let's admit it: The National Rifle Association botched its response to the tragedy in Sandy Hook.

"But Mike, they did a great job defending my Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms." I would argue that our Second Amendment rights wouldn't have needed to be defended had the NRA kept its mouth shut.

Stay with me here. The NRA reacted to the anti-gun crowd with gems such as, "You need a good guy with a gun to stop a bad guy with a gun" or "It's time to arm teachers." The NRA made this a gun issue when it was clearly a mental health issue.

So here we are again. Not minutes after Aaron Alexis senselessly gunned down 12 in Washington, the anti-gun idiots were lining up for the cameras. I'll just stick with my favorite anti-gun idiot, Sen. Diane Feinstein.

"There are reports the killer was armed with an AR-15, a shotgun and a semiautomatic pistol when he stormed an American military installation in the nation's capital and took at least 12 innocent lives," she said.

Oh, how I love idiots. The facts are that Aaron Alexis entered the building with a contractor's keycard and a shotgun. He obtained the rifle and pistol from his victims.

She didn't stop there.

"This is one more event to add to the litany of massacres that occur when a deranged person or grievance killer is able to obtain multiple weapons — including a military-style assault rifle — and kill many people in a short amount of time," Feinstein said.

Litany? Litany? Do some homework, woman!

Military-style assault weapons? Now you are just trying to make me mad. There is NO evidence that an AR-15 was used. There is only evidence that the shotgun and handgun were used.

OK, back to the NRA. The NRA can't let the idiots goad it into another battle that makes the organization look like a collection of wacko gun extremists. Take the gun debate off of the table by calling it what it actually is: a mental health issue.

The NRA should make a statement along these lines, "We at the NRA are saddened by the tragedy in Washington, D.C. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, friends and colleagues of the victims. Aaron Alexis was a troubled young man who had been seeking help for a variety of mental issues over the past decade. The NRA is committed to assisting the VA in any way possible to ensure that all of our veterans get the mental health assistance they need, when they need it. Thank you."

It's hard to argue against guns when the issue isn't about guns at all.

About the Author

Mike Russell
Mike Russell is KTAR's resident outdoorsman. His passion for the outdoors is the engine behind KTAR's hit show Get Outdoors with Mike Russell. Get Outdoors focuses on the world of hunting, fishing, camping and conservation. Mike's special features, The Outdoor Minute and the KTAR Timeline, can be heard each weekday on two of Arizona's highest rated shows, Arizona's Morning News and Arizona's Evening News.
Mike hurries home each night to his amazing wife of 11 years, Jodi, and their two children Jillian (9) and John (7). His 95 pound puppy, Champ, is always there to greet him as well. The thought of loading up the truck for some fishing, hunting and camping keeps Mike motivated throughout the week. When he can't hit the lake or get out on a hunt, well, let's just say that none of us want to see that.